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Satelliteracer: Can you address why DIRECTV continues to charge an HD access fee when many other providers do not? (For example, my local cable provider is Cablevision. All customers have access to SD and HD channels in all of their subscription packages, with no added fee for HD.)

DIRECTV has negotiated with most content providers to supply SD and HD channels and rates have gone up, as reflected in the rate increases. Why do HD users get "penalized" for wanting to watch HD - shouldn't the cost be built in to the base package price negotiated with the content providers?

Some channels will be moved to higher tiered packages because they are over distributed at the price they are valued at considering who is watching. In other words, they are more niche and should be available on a higher tiered packages to try and contain costs and the prices Directv needs to charge.

This is my personal fear.

In order to get the channels I want, I have to pay considerable money for channels I don't want in base packages in order to get the more "niche" channels I do want.

Eventually, I'm either going to have to sacrifice some channels I enjoy in order to keep enjoying others, or I'm simply going to reach a point where I find it's not worth the costs to enjoy any of it...

Satelliteracer: Can you address why DIRECTV continues to charge an HD access fee when many other providers do not? (For example, my local cable provider is Cablevision. All customers have access to SD and HD channels as part of their subscription package, with no added fee for HD.)

DIRECTV has negotiated with most content providers to supply SD and HD channels and rates have gone up, as reflected in the rate increases. Why do HD users get "penalized" for wanting to watch HD - shouldn't the cost be built in to the base package price negotiated with the content providers?

I remember when I signed up for two free years of "free HD." I was told that when my two years was up, I could get it again because DirecTV was working on something. My two years is up next year...

Satelliteracer: Can you address why DIRECTV continues to charge an HD access fee when many other providers do not? (For example, my local cable provider is Cablevision. All customers have access to SD and HD channels in all of their subscription packages, with no added fee for HD.)

DIRECTV has negotiated with most content providers to supply SD and HD channels and rates have gone up, as reflected in the rate increases. Why do HD users get "penalized" for wanting to watch HD - shouldn't the cost be built in to the base package price negotiated with the content providers?

I don't think HD users are being penalized. I think SD users are getting a benefit. If they did away with the HD fee, I would bet that all packages would go up that same $10. In other words, HD users would pay the same, but SD users would have a $10 increase.

I don't think HD users are being penalized. I think SD users are getting a benefit. If they did away with the HD fee, I would bet that all packages would go up that same $10. In other words, HD users would pay the same, but SD users would have a $10 increase.

Don't some cable companies charge extra for HD STBs over their SD STBs?

~Alan<~~~~~~~~Not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to cablecos...

Don't some cable companies charge extra for HD STBs over their SD STBs?

~Alan<~~~~~~~~Not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to cablecos...

They are all different, even the same company in different towns. Here is my town, Comcast (Xfinity) charges for the package and up to 3 standard def "converters" included. Each HD box or cablecard costs $8.50 per outlet, HD DVR costs $17.95 per outlet.

So my cost, assuming the package price is the same (they are close) would be $17 extra for my two HD Tivo's plus $8.50 for the spare room receiver: $25.50

DirecTv is $10 HD + $12 for the other two rooms, or $22.00 (and right now I am getting the $10 HD free).

I remember when I signed up for two free years of "free HD." I was told that when my two years was up, I could get it again because DirecTV was working on something. My two years is up next year...

~Alan

Good point about that ... for a while all new customers were given "free HD for life" while existing customers who called in were offered "free HD for 2 years". It will be interesting to see what kind of offer is still on the table when many of these latter customers reach their 2 year mark in 2012. Obviously the HD Access Fee (now the "Advanced Receiver-HD" fee) is not going away ...

I don't think HD users are being penalized. I think SD users are getting a benefit. If they did away with the HD fee, I would bet that all packages would go up that same $10. In other words, HD users would pay the same, but SD users would have a $10 increase.

I didn't know what to call it, but "penalized" seemed to work because the HD customers have to pay more upfront to acquire HD equipment than the SD customers, and HD customers end up paying $120 more annually than SD customers to be able to tune to HD channels that were most likely bundled as SD and HD channels by the content providers.

Other providers, like Cablevision, face the same choices when negotiating their packages but charge all customers the same package price with no HD access fee. To me that seems like a penalty on the DIRECTV HD customers...

My family looks at it this way, Entertainment for a family of 4 for 31 days = about 1.25 a person per day. It is what it is sometimes you can get deals sometimes you can't but at the end of the day its not a bad deal when looked at the way we do.

We have premier with 3 DVR's and 1 HD receiver. There is a few other receivers that I choose to keep active on the account but have not included them into the picture.

Good point about that ... for a while all new customers were given "free HD for life" while existing customers who called in were offered "free HD for 2 years". It will be interesting to see what kind of offer is still on the table when many of these latter customers reach their 2 year mark in 2012. Obviously the HD Access Fee (now the "Advanced Receiver-HD" fee) is not going away ...

I didn't know what to call it, but "penalized" seemed to work because the HD customers have to pay more upfront to acquire HD equipment than the SD customers, and HD customers end up paying $120 more annually than SD customers to be able to tune to HD channels that were most likely bundled as SD and HD channels by the content providers.

Other providers, like Cablevision, face the same choices when negotiating their packages but charge all customers the same package price with no HD access fee. To me that seems like a penalty on the DIRECTV HD customers...

In all fairness you aren't required to have HD service. I do understand what you're saying but the same could be said from a cable customer who sees D* charges $7-$8 for a DVR fee per house, and their provider charges $10-$20 per DVR on top of the normal box fees. I've found it all pretty much comes out about even in the end, at least for what I sub to.

They are all different, even the same company in different towns. Here is my town, Comcast (Xfinity) charges for the package and up to 3 standard def "converters" included. Each HD box or cablecard costs $8.50 per outlet, HD DVR costs $17.95 per outlet.

So my cost, assuming the package price is the same (they are close) would be $17 extra for my two HD Tivo's plus $8.50 for the spare room receiver: $25.50

DirecTv is $10 HD + $12 for the other two rooms, or $22.00 (and right now I am getting the $10 HD free).

They are all different, even the same company in different towns. Here is my town, Comcast (Xfinity) charges for the package and up to 3 standard def "converters" included. Each HD box or cablecard costs $8.50 per outlet, HD DVR costs $17.95 per outlet.

So my cost, assuming the package price is the same (they are close) would be $17 extra for my two HD Tivo's plus $8.50 for the spare room receiver: $25.50

DirecTv is $10 HD + $12 for the other two rooms, or $22.00 (and right now I am getting the $10 HD free).

You are right though, to be fair, I should include it, but there were to many variables Comcast would be $8.50 HD fee and $9.45 DVR fee per outlet.DirecTv would be $10 HD fee and $7 DVR fee per account.

You are right though, to be fair, I should include it, but there were to many variables Comcast would be $8.50 HD fee and $9.45 DVR fee per outlet.DirecTv would be $10 HD fee and $7 DVR fee per account.

You are right though, to be fair, I should include it, but there were to many variables Comcast would be $8.50 HD fee and $9.45 DVR fee per outlet.DirecTv would be $10 HD fee and $8 DVR fee per account.

Just FYI in certian areas, the RSN's will be an additional $2, but areas are tbd

will that be what old choice extra get's for free? areas with more then 1 RSN?RSN's that some people need the sports pack to get local games on (mainly people in some RSN outer market)?Entertainment add on?